14 October 2026
The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the continuation of the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) for 2026-27 to 2030-31 with a total outlay of ₹53,428 crore. The programme is renamed Pradhan Mantri Samajik Sahayata Yojana. Its four components are renamed the Pradhan Mantri Vriddhavastha Pension Yojana (old age pension), the Pradhan Mantri Vidhwa Pension Yojana (widow pension), the Pradhan Mantri Divyangjan Pension Yojana (disability pension) and the Pradhan Mantri Parivar Labh Yojana (family benefit). For the disability pension, monthly assistance rises to ₹375 for beneficiaries aged 0-79 and ₹625 for those aged 80 and above, the benchmark disability threshold falls from 80 per cent to 40 per cent, and the minimum age criterion becomes birth; detailed guidelines on eligibility, beneficiary numbers and rates are to be issued within three months. About 3.20 crore beneficiaries across all 36 States and Union Territories are covered. The old age, widow and family benefit components continue in their existing form. NSAP was launched on 15 August 1995 and draws on Article 41 of the Constitution.
Total outlay:
₹53,428 crore
Period:
2026-27 to 2030-31
Beneficiaries:
About 3.20 crore
Disability threshold:
80% reduced to 40%
NSAP launch:
15 August 1995
Why it matters for exams: A renamed centrally funded pension programme with a fresh outlay, a new disability threshold and a constitutional anchor in Article 41 is standard material for scheme and Directive Principles questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
NSAP National Social Assistance Programme — A fully centrally funded programme of pensions for the elderly, widows and persons with disabilities.
Article 41 Article 41 of the Constitution of India — A Directive Principle asking the State to secure public assistance in old age, sickness and disablement.
Benchmark disability Benchmark disability — A specified minimum percentage of a disability that makes a person eligible for benefits.
14 October 2026
The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved payment of a Productivity Linked Bonus (PLB) equivalent to 78 days' wages to railway employees. It covers 11,40,770 non-gazetted railway employees and will cost ₹2,009.61 crore. The maximum amount payable to an eligible employee for the 78 days is ₹17,951. The bonus is paid every year before the Durga Puja and Dussehra holidays. Categories covered include track maintenance staff, loco pilots, train managers (guards), station masters, supervisors, technicians, technician helpers, pointsmen, ministerial staff and other Group 'C' staff. In 2025-26 Indian Railways loaded a record 1,670 million tonnes of freight and carried about 7.41 billion passengers.
Days of wages:
78 days
Employees covered:
11,40,770
Total cost:
₹2,009.61 crore
Maximum per employee:
₹17,951
Freight loaded 2025-26:
1,670 million tonnes
Why it matters for exams: The number of days, the number of employees and the maximum payable are the exact figures asked in economy and Railways questions each year.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
PLB Productivity Linked Bonus — A bonus paid to railway staff linked to the system's measured productivity, expressed as a number of days' wages.
Non-gazetted Non-gazetted employees — Government staff whose appointments are not notified in the official Gazette, mainly Group 'C' and similar grades.
14 October 2026
The Indian Navy will hand over command of Combined Task Force 154 (CTF 154) at a ceremony in Manama, Bahrain, on 14 October 2026. CTF 154 is the dedicated multinational maritime training task force of the Combined Maritime Forces, a partnership of 47 nations. India joined the Combined Maritime Forces as an associate partner in 2022 and became a full member in 2023. The Indian Navy took over CTF 154 on 11 February 2026, the first time it commanded a Combined Maritime Forces task force. During its command the task force conducted 20 staff enhancement training programmes, Operations Compass Rose 26-1 and Southern Readiness 26-2, and the first SPAR 2026 subject-matter expert exchange on piracy and armed robbery at sea. It completed over 7,800 training hours with personnel from 29 countries.
Task force:
Combined Task Force 154
Handover venue:
Manama, Bahrain
India took command:
11 February 2026
CMF partner nations:
47
Training hours:
Over 7,800 with personnel from 29 countries
Why it matters for exams: The Combined Maritime Forces, its task force numbers and India's progression from associate partner to full member are precise defence-diplomacy facts that get asked directly.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
CMF Combined Maritime Forces — A multinational naval partnership based in Bahrain that counters piracy, smuggling and other maritime threats.
CTF 154 Combined Task Force 154 — The Combined Maritime Forces task force devoted to maritime training and capacity building.
14 October 2026
The Ministry of Cooperation notified the Multi-State Co-operative Society (Auditor's Report) Order, 2026, known as MSCARO 2026, under Section 73(6) of the Multi-State Co-operative Societies Act as amended in 2023. The order is modelled on the Companies (Auditor's Report) Order, or CARO, used in the corporate sector. The Ministry drew on suggestions from the Reserve Bank of India, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India and multi-state cooperative societies. Auditors must report in a prescribed format on financial, administrative, governance and statutory compliance points, answering yes or no and adding comments. Areas covered include early warning signs of financial stress such as non-performing assets, overdue loans, liquidity, deposits and borrowings, protection of member funds and share capital, board composition and director eligibility, general and board meetings, statutory committees, related-party transactions and, where applicable, cybersecurity and anti-money laundering compliance. The Central Registrar of Cooperative Societies will use the findings to identify higher-risk societies and prioritise inspections, feeding into the CRCS portal. Implementation is phased: the initial phase covers large societies with a financial size above ₹1,000 crore, and the order is intended over the long term to extend to societies above ₹50 crore.
Order:
Multi-State Co-operative Society (Auditor's Report) Order, 2026
Legal provision:
Section 73(6) of the Multi-State Co-operative Societies Act (amended 2023)
Model:
CARO for companies
Initial phase threshold:
Above ₹1,000 crore
Long-term threshold:
Above ₹50 crore
Why it matters for exams: A new audit order under a named section of the Multi-State Co-operative Societies Act, modelled on CARO and monitored by the Central Registrar, sits exactly where governance and cooperative-sector questions meet.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
MSCARO Multi-State Co-operative Society (Auditor's Report) Order — An order setting the standard points an auditor must report on for a multi-state cooperative society.
CARO Companies (Auditor's Report) Order — The corresponding order for company auditors in the corporate sector.
CRCS Central Registrar of Cooperative Societies — The central authority that registers and regulates multi-state cooperative societies.
14 October 2026
The Prime Minister will inaugurate and dedicate five development projects in Ladakh worth about ₹3,350 crore on 15 October 2026 at about 12:30 PM through video conferencing. The new passenger terminal building at Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport in Leh costs ₹640 crore, covers 23,800 square metres, is designed for 3.5 million passengers a year and uses geothermal energy. The 298 km Nimmu-Padum-Darcha road, built by the Border Roads Organisation, links Nimmu in Leh to Darcha in Himachal Pradesh through the Zanskar valley and crosses the Shinku La pass, giving an alternative route to Ladakh. The 9 MW Hanu small hydroelectric project comes with the Dah-Hanu-Khaltsi double-circuit transmission line. A petroglyph conservation park at Sindhu Ghat in Leh, India's first, will protect Ladakh's prehistoric rock carvings. The Hima Sarovar project creates 40 water bodies in 40 villages, aligned with Mission Amrit Sarovar, to conserve water for irrigation.
Total value:
About ₹3,350 crore
Leh airport terminal:
₹640 crore, 23,800 sq m
Nimmu-Padum-Darcha road:
298 km, built by BRO
Hanu hydel project:
9 MW
Hima Sarovar:
40 water bodies in 40 villages
Why it matters for exams: Ladakh geography, the Shinku La pass, the Border Roads Organisation and a first-of-its-kind heritage park together make a question that tests place knowledge and schemes at once.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Petroglyph Petroglyph — A prehistoric image carved or chiselled into rock.
BRO Border Roads Organisation — The body that builds and maintains roads in India's border areas.
Shinku La Shinku La pass — A high mountain pass on the Nimmu-Padum-Darcha route between Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh.
14 October 2026
A Supreme Court bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi quashed a notice issued by Ghaziabad police to the social media platform X seeking digital data from the account of journalist Abhishek Upadhyay. The notice sought data for about three months before the incident, including login and logout IP addresses, email ID, IMEI number and registration logs. Justice Bagchi said seizing data for three months before the incident 'seems to be an overkill'. The case is Abhishek Upadhyay v. State of Uttar Pradesh and Others, W.P.(Crl.) No. 339/2026. The Court directed that information obtained through the notice or otherwise must not be used against Upadhyay, made his interim protection from coercive action absolute subject to his cooperation with the investigation, and ordered that his seized vehicle be released within two days. It left him free to challenge the First Information Report before the competent High Court. The underlying FIR was registered at Indirapuram Police Station, Ghaziabad.
Bench:
CJI Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi
Case:
Abhishek Upadhyay v. State of Uttar Pradesh, W.P.(Crl.) No. 339/2026
Data sought:
Login and logout IP addresses, email ID, IMEI number, registration logs
Period of data:
About three months before the incident
Vehicle release:
Within two days
Why it matters for exams: A reported order limiting how far back police may demand platform data touches privacy, press freedom and criminal procedure in one case name examiners can cite.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
IMEI International Mobile Equipment Identity — A unique number identifying a particular mobile handset.
FIR First Information Report — The written record police make when they first receive information about a cognizable offence.
Interim protection Interim protection from coercive action — A temporary court order stopping arrest or similar steps while a case is pending.
Background
Sir William Jones formed a group of antiquarians as the Asiatic Society on 15 January 1784 in Calcutta; its journal, Asiatick Researches, began in 1788.
Bengal Regulation XIX of 1810 was the first attempt to make the government intervene through legislation when monuments were at risk.
Alexander Cunningham was appointed the first Archaeological Surveyor from December 1861.
Lord Lawrence abolished the Archaeological Survey in 1866.
Act XX of 1863 vested the government with powers to prevent injury to and preserve buildings remarkable for their antiquity or for their historical or architectural value.
The Archaeological Survey was revived as a distinct department, and Cunningham, as Director General, assumed charge in February 1871.
Asiatic Society formed:
15 January 1784, Calcutta
First legislation on monuments:
Bengal Regulation XIX of 1810
First Archaeological Surveyor:
Alexander Cunningham, from December 1861
Survey abolished:
1866
Survey revived under Cunningham as Director General:
February 1871
Why it matters for exams: The origins of archaeology and monument protection in India, and the role of Cunningham, are frequent history and culture questions in UPSC and Kerala PSC papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Asiatic Society Society of antiquarians formed by Sir William Jones — The society whose researches began the study of India's antiquities.
Director General Head of the Archaeological Survey — The post to which Alexander Cunningham was appointed when the Survey was revived.
Bengal Regulation XIX of 1810 Early monuments law — The first attempt to make the government intervene through legislation when monuments were at risk.
Background
Article 39A of the Constitution of India provides for free legal aid to the weaker sections of society, to promote justice on the basis of equal opportunity.
Articles 14 and 22(1) also make it obligatory for the State to ensure equality before law.
The Legal Services Authorities Act was enacted by Parliament in 1987 and came into force on 9 November 1995, to establish a nationwide uniform network for free and competent legal services.
The Chief Justice of India is the Patron-in-Chief and the seniormost Judge of the Supreme Court of India is the Executive Chairman of the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA).
NALSA's principal objective is to provide free and competent legal services to the weaker sections and to organise Lok Adalats for amicable settlement of disputes.
Its functions also include spreading legal literacy and awareness and undertaking social justice litigation.
Constitutional basis:
Article 39A
Act enacted:
1987
Act came into force:
9 November 1995
Patron-in-Chief:
Chief Justice of India
Executive Chairman:
Seniormost Judge of the Supreme Court
Why it matters for exams: Article 39A, the Legal Services Authorities Act and the role of Lok Adalats are recurring polity and judiciary questions in UPSC and Kerala PSC papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Article 39A Equal justice and free legal aid — The Directive Principle that provides for free legal aid so that justice is not denied by economic or other disabilities.
Lok Adalat People's court for amicable settlement — A forum organised by the legal services authorities for amicable settlement of disputes.
Patron-in-Chief Head patron of the Authority — The Chief Justice of India holds this position in NALSA.
Background
The Indian Research Fund Association (IRFA), now the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), was established by Sir Harcourt Butler on 15 November 1911.
The Indian Journal of Medical Research started in 1913 and is now a leading peer-reviewed indexed journal of biomedical research.
The Beri-Beri Enquiry under Sir Robert McCarrison is now known as the National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad.
The Virus Research Centre set up in Pune is now known as the National Institute of Virology, Pune.
A new blood group, the Bombay blood group, was discovered by Dr H. M. Bhatia and his team in Bombay.
IRFA was renamed the Indian Council of Medical Research in 1949; ICMR describes itself as the apex body in India for the formulation, coordination and promotion of biomedical research.
Founded as IRFA:
15 November 1911
Founder:
Sir Harcourt Butler
Renamed as ICMR:
1949
Indian Journal of Medical Research started:
1913
Why it matters for exams: ICMR's origins, mandate and the institutes that grew out of it are common health and science questions in UPSC and Kerala PSC papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
IRFA Indian Research Fund Association — The body established in 1911 that was renamed ICMR in 1949.
Apex body Highest coordinating body — ICMR describes itself as the apex body in India for the formulation, coordination and promotion of biomedical research.
Bombay blood group Rare blood group — A new blood group discovered by Dr H. M. Bhatia and his team in Bombay.
Background
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) functions under the Department of Defence Research and Development (DD R&D) of the Ministry of Defence.
DRDO was formed in 1958 from the amalgamation of the Technical Development Establishments (TDEs) of the Indian Army and the Directorate of Technical Development and Production (DTDP) with the Defence Science Organisation (DSO).
It was then a small organisation with 10 establishments or laboratories.
Its vision is to empower the nation with state-of-the-art indigenous defence and security technologies and systems.
Strategic systems and platforms developed include the Agni and Prithvi series of missiles, the light combat aircraft Tejas, the multi-barrel rocket launcher Pinaka and the air defence system Akash.
Its motto is "Balasya Mulam Vigyanam", which means the source of strength is science.
Formed in:
1958
Establishments at formation:
10
Parent department:
Department of Defence Research and Development
Motto:
Balasya Mulam Vigyanam
Why it matters for exams: DRDO's origin, parent department and flagship systems are routine defence and science-and-technology questions in UPSC and Kerala PSC papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
DD R&D Department of Defence Research and Development — The department of the Ministry of Defence under which DRDO functions.
Pinaka Multi-barrel rocket launcher — A DRDO-developed multi-barrel rocket launcher named among its strategic systems.
Akash Air defence system — A DRDO-developed air defence system.